Living Up To A Name
by Pintsize
Summary: It's about Neville and his cute wee love life. It starts with his Gran but bear with it. Neville and Hannah, kinda fluffy. End of OotP
1. Chapter 1 Breakfast With Algie

Chapter 1 - Breakfast With Algie

At precisely 7 o'clock in the morning, Elsie Longbottom was having breakfast with her brother Algie. Which means she was drinking her morning cup of tea (her only vice, as she claimed to her neighbours) and he was reading "The Daily Prophet" and ignoring her protestations of his reading choice and his eating habits. A tawny brawn owl flew in the open kitchen window and landed augustly on the table. With Algie still absorbed in his ridiculous excuse for a newspaper, Elsie took it upon her self to tend to the owl and the letter attached to it's leg. Algie, who was not so engrossed that he couldn't see the dirty looks he was being given or hear her muttering, grunted and thought : _"It's her bloody owl anyway."_

Dear Gran,

I am really sorry but I've broke my wand. Please don't get mad.

Professor Dumbledore said he already wrote to you to tell you all

about how it happened and I'm really sorry. I know I broke all lot of

school rules - and your rules as well but I just had to help. I didn't want

Harry to lose his godfather as well as his parents.

Neville.

P.S. I think I've lost all of my quills. Could you please send some more.

Next, Algie heard a loud crack and thinking his sister had had an extremely unpleasant letter and was now taking it out on HIS crockery, he looked up. He was proven wrong, for his sister had disappeared. This was very unlike her and maybe he should find out what was wrong but the article on "Broomsticks Vs Magic Carpets" was so intriguing. Oh well……


	2. Chapter 2 Dumbledore's Letter

Chapter 2 - Dumbledore's Letter

Dear Mrs Longbottom,

I am writing to inform you of a little miscreant activity of your Grandson's. He recently broke several of our new school rules, instigated by our acting Headmistress, Dolores Umbridge (who has now regrettably stepped down, not only from this position but also from that of Hogwarts High Inquisitor and Defence Against The Dark Arts Teacher). For his behaviour over the past few months, I believe he deserves much praise and perhaps a little reward.

Of course, I am in no way trying to force your hand. In fact, the only reason I feel comfortable in mentioning such matters is my confidence that this would have been the course of action you would have taken on your own initiative.

It might interest you to know that during his rule-breaking, Neville travelled to the Ministry of Magic where he and five classmates bravely fought several Death Eaters, some of whom had freshly escaped from Azkaban. This group included a Mrs Bellatrix Lestrange. He also helped to ruin a plan of Lord Voldemort's and ensure that the aforementioned Death Eaters were returned to their rightful place.

However, his wand was unfortunately broken and I know how expensive they are. Nonetheless, I am certain that with a new wand, his abilities can only increase. He has certainly lived up to your family name and done you proud.

Albus Percival Wulfic Brian Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Order of Merlin, First Class.


	3. Chapter 3 Breakfast In The Great Hall

Chapter 3 - Breakfast In The Great Hall

The next day, Neville Longbottom was having breakfast in the Great Hall alone when a familiar owl soared majestically down the Gryffindor table and settled itself beside his bowl of porridge and re-ascended quickly leaving behind a parcel of monolithic proportions . At the Hufflepuff table, another owl, this one rather less regal, deposited a large package beside Hannah Abbot and took off again, despite the fact that the name on it read "Neville Longbottom."

Neville, meanwhile, who had not even noticed the bird he would have instantly recognised as Ingram, his Great Uncle Algie's _slightly_ crazy owl, and was too busy trying to work out who would have sent him such a package. He knew the owl but **this** couldn't have come from his Gran It contained every sweet Neville had ever liked the taste of, wizard and muggle manufactures, and some he had only heard of from other people.

Needless to say, he was currently the most popular person at the Gryffindor table with people clamouring for sweets most of them had never even seen. Neville was dazed but was also unwilling to try the sweets, or let anyone else try them for that matter, in case they had been tampered with. Fred Weasley (or was that George?) seemed to be reading his thoughts. "You've spent too much time listening to Moody" he drawled while helping himself. Neville rejected this with a shake of his head but laughed alone with everyone else. After all, he didn't want to seem paranoid, but he waited to see if anything happen to whichever twin it was all the same.

While this was taking place at the Gryffindor table, over at the Hufflepuff end of the Hall, Hannah Abbot was debating with herself what would be the best time to go over and give Neville his other parcel.


	4. Chapter 4 Neville And Hannah

Chapter 4 - Neville's Perspective

"Just go!" muttered Ernie McMillan (Hufflepuff prefect, didn't you know!)

"I don't think he'd mind _you _interrupting his breakfast." he added sarcastically, to which she replied with a blush.

"Okay, okay, I'm going now." She said weakly as she stood up.

"No, I'm not." She said as she made to sit back down at which point Susan decided she has had enough of this and resolved it by pushing Hannah in the direction of the ever increasing noise of the Gryffindors.

"That solved that." Susan grinned at Ernie, then both of them went back to their breakfasts, which they found much more interesting than their best friend's crush on Neville Longbottom.

Neville didn't know Hannah was there until she tapped him on the shoulder and said brightly

"Hi, your owl delivered this to me by mistake, so I'm doing my good deed for the day and returning it!"

Neville's stomach began it's gymnastic routine that it performed when ever Hannah spoke to him, looked at him, or existed anywhere in his immediate vicinity.

"Hi, thanks." He managed to blurt out.

"No problem"

And she turned as if to go. After an infinitesimal hesitation, he called after her.

"Do you want a sweet?"."


	5. Chapter 5 Hannah

Chapter 5 - Hannah's Perspective

Hannah stood behind Neville doing her best to attract his attention. Nope, nothing else for her to try. She tapped him on the shoulder, hoping her hand wasn't shaking.

He turned round and for a second she completely forgot why she was there. She smiled trying to delay the moment she would have to explain her presence in the hope that it would come back to her. THE PACKAGE!

"Oh, um, hi. Your, er, owl delivered this to me by mistake, so I, er, I'm doing my good deed for the day and returning it!"

_("Hannah, you are such an idiot., Why can't you just speak like a normal person!")_

"Thanks."

"No problem." she lied while trying to stop her legs from shaking.

"Well, okay, that's that then." She said so quietly no-one else heard her, turned and began walking back to her table, cheeks burning and mentally berating herself for the 50th time that week. She could already imagine Susan and Ernie's reactions.

"Do you want a sweet?"

After Hannah had been sitting with the Gryffindors for long enough for Susan and Ernie to have finished breakfast and joined them, _and_ for there have been a considerable dent made in the quantity of Neville's sweets, Hermione demanded to know if he was "ever going to open the other package."

He had always been a bit scared of Hermione so he opened it straight away.

It was hard to tell which of the packages had been better!


	6. Chapter 6 A Good Morning

Chapter 6 - A Good Morning

Package Number Two may have been smaller, but it was no less magnificent. It contained dozens of quills, all of them different. Quills of every colour, size and description. Some changed the colour of the ink as you wrote with them. Some played happy little melodies whenever they were moved. They were a couple of acid green ones which Neville couldn't figure out but which Hermione pursed her lips at when she examined them. But it was easily recognisable for Neville as to which stood out most. This one played no tunes, kept the ink the same colour and in fact had no charm to make it stand out. It was just a plain feather, but bright red and gold.

"Wow." whispered Hannah at his elbow.

When Neville woke up, he was looking forward to his favourite class but for a change it wasn't because Herbology was so interesting. He couldn't wait!

Hannah, who woke up later, wasn't in such a good mood as she had Potions first thing and she had also been having a _very_ good dream that included her in a wedding dress. She stretched and yawned for a while, knowing that there was no way she was going to be able to fall asleep again and that it probably wasn't the best idea anyway. All in all, Hannah was not a sunny character this morning. That was before she had spotted the package at the bottom of her bed, of course.

"What's that?" She asked herself, although she could have sworn that a muffled giggle came from under Susan's duvet cover in response.

It wasn't really a package of course. It was a (very poorly) wrapped quill. Just a single phoenix feather quill.

As it turned out, Neville didn't have to wait for Herbology. Hannah approached him shyly just outside the Great Hall. She had been waiting for him for about 15 minutes (the time it took him to find his books for his first class) but of course he didn't know that.

"Hi. Could we go for a walk. I want to ask you something."


	7. Chapter 7 A Welcome Change

Chapter 7 - A Welcome Change

Severus Snape could not understand. He hadn't worked this hard at being vile in a long time - it usually only took a sneer or a couple of well placed insults for most people. His mere presence was all that was ordinarily required to turn Longbottom into a quivering wreck.

"_He must be taking arrogance lessons from Potter."_

Minerva McGonagall had also noticed a distinct change in Neville's attitude. He _actually_ beamed at her when she asked for a demonstration. His broken wand caught fire, but he was closer than he usually was at performing well. She, however, had a very different view of this from Professor Snape.

"_Well it's about time!"_

Sibyll Patricia Trelawney's view was somewhere in between the extreme annoyance of Professor Snape and happiness of Professor McGongall, though of course, she was unaware of that. She was pleased that the boy had stopped shaking whenever she approached him. She was not so delighted that he grinned all through her predictions of his future.

"_He really should start taking his fate more seriously!"_

Pomona Sprout noticed no difference.

"Well done, Longbottom. That's exactly the right way to do it."

Herbology had always been Neville's favourite class and now he loved it more than ever. He actually put his hand up to answer questions - something he very rarely did even though he knew all the answers to Professor Sprout's questions. He didn't want to seem like a know-it-all.

Today, however, he couldn't stop himself from humming under his breath. The bit he was most looking forward to was about to come.

Harry and Ron were playing chess in the Common Room when Hermione hurtled herself through the portrait hole and straight towards them.

"You'll never guess what I just found it" She said breathlessly, the corners of her mouth twitching violently.

"Nope, I guess we won't, so we should even bother trying" said Ron in a controlled voice, attempting a return to their game. Evidently he was still sore about Hermione's comments during Transfiguration.

"Oh shut up" she said, and launched into full gossip mode.

"Well you must of noticed how different Neville is acting today? (They shook their heads.) Ugh, you two are unbelievable! You're trying to tell me you didn't notice how happy he was today - even during Potions? (Oh, yeah..) There you go! Well, I noticed it most during Herbology because normally I'm partnered with him but today he already had a partner and I had to pair with Justin Finch-Fletchly. I remember thinking that was weird but then Professor Sprout started telling us about what we would be doing next year and I forgot all about. (Ron clicked his tongue, but Hermione ignored him). Anyway, I was just in the Library ("Again?") and I was talking to Ernie McMillan about our Arthimancy homework when he told me that his friend Hannah Abbot has got a boyfriend."

Here she paused to look at them meaningfully. Ron wondered if she was ever going to tell them the point of this story. Harry wondered who Hannah was.

"Hufflepuff, blonde pigtails? She came to the all DA meetings!" Hermione told them, visibly exasperated. Seeing the looks of dawning comprehension, she continued.

"Well, isn't it obvious?"

Clearly it wasn't. Harry and Ron looked at each other, even more confused than when she had started this story.

"NEVILLE'S GOING OUT WITH HANNAH, YOU PAIR OF…!"

"Miss Granger?" enquired the Headmaster's voice "I don't think Mr Longbottom or Miss Abbot would like the whole of Hogwarts to hear their personal business, do you?"

At which point both Harry and Ron were overcome by coughing fits.


	8. Chapter 8 An Invitation

Chapter 8 - An Invitation

It was plain the summer holidays were approaching. The excitement was presenting itself in the almost manic attitudes and antics of the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Peeves must have subconsciously realised that this would be his last chance to torment the seventh years as they would not be returning next year and could subsequently be seen pestering eighteen and nineteen year olds of all houses at every opportunity.

Neville and Hannah were lounging near the Lake, skipping stones and ducking every so often when the Giant Squid threw one back. Their classes had officially ended but Neville wasn't as relaxed as you might imagine. Hannah was his first real girlfriend and they had only being going out a couple of days, yet he was gathering together every ounce of courage he had within him to ask her if he could see her during the holidays.

"_And I thought fighting Death Eaters would be scary! I'd rather face the Cruciatus curse again than have her say 'no.'"_

Hannah had noticed Neville becoming more and more flustered. When they had got bored of skipping stones, Neville had suggested a walk which Hannah had agreed to. Both of them knew that they weren't comfortable enough with each other yet to just sit and talk, they had to have something to avoid awkward silences. Their promenade had started well enough, but pretty soon Neville was opening his mouth as if to speak, but closing it again before making a sound. He launched conversations but seemed to lose interest very quickly. Something was wrong.

"Hannah…" Neville opened "Would you…would you….emm…..would it be alright if we met up during the holidays."

"Oh, Neville, that would be great!" Hannah almost screamed she was so relieved he wasn't dumping her. "When, where, how?"

"You could come stay with me for a week, or I could come visit you. What would you prefer?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I just remembered my house is being renovated right now." Hannah lied quickly. When Neville tried to arrange for her to come to his house for a weekend - she had more trouble thinking up an excuse.

"Ummm, my parents are arranging a holiday this year and I don't know when it's for, so it's probably best if we leave it and I'll send you an owl okay? See you later then" she finished weakly as she left him standing under a tree looking utterly destroyed.

To Neville, that had been a definite 'no.'


	9. Chapter 9 Self Pity

Chapter 9 - Self-Pity

Hannah walked normally until she was sure she was out of Neville's sight. Once she was positive he could no longer see her, she ran. She didn't know where she was going but she ran. Luckily it was still sunny outside and the corridors were empty. Her vision was now obscured and a collision would have been guaranteed, had there been anyone to collide with. She knew that Neville hadn't bought her excuse, but she hadn't been expecting _that!_

"_That's what comes of being a pessimist. When good things happen, you always manage to mess them up."_

Before she had time to even focus on the "Out of Order" sign outside door she was inside a bathroom, and she wasn't the only one crying. She turned to go. She didn't want anyone to see her, and she thought this girl would probably feel the same. Her parents had always taught her not to show emotion in public.

"Who's there?"

Hannah knew that voice. She realised instantly where she was, and that was definitely not where she wanted to be. The last time she had been here was when she had been an innocent first year. She had been desperate (but cheerful nonetheless) and jumped in on her way to Charms. She had left feeling thoroughly miserable and something told her that this would be no better.

Myrtle had been a little forlorn recently because she too realised the seventh years were leaving, which only reminded her that she wasn't. _She_ was stuck here with all the horrible people who didn't want to talk to her, some of whom couldn't even remember her name! She had been in her toilet for a little over an hour now, crying and muttering ever since she had bumped into the Grey Lady, who had asked her how she was feeling. After a lengthy description of every ailment Myrtle had ever had (or suspected she had), the conversation had turned to next year. Ravenclaw's premier ghost had expressed an interest in what next years new students might be like, and a regret in losing some pupils of her house that she had come to know quite well.

"Stupid spirit, …can't be called 'lady'…, so rude…, forgetting I'm dead…" Myrtle grumbled from her U-Bend, ignoring the fact that the Grey Lady was also a ghost as it didn't sit well with her anger. She heard her toilet door opening.

"Who's there?"


	10. Chapter 10 The Hospital Wing

Chapter 10 - The Hospital Wing

"Hi Myrtle, it's me Hannah. Don't know if you remember me from four years ago, I…..?"

Too late. Myrtle began screaming. Hannah heard few coherent words as she sprinted towards the door but she could have sworn she was being accused of avoiding Myrtle since first year. She was so desperate to get away, she cut her hand on the door handle. Her hair was all in her face, which was probably the reason she couldn't see her Head of House approaching her.

"Miss Abbot!" she heard a scandalised voice say. "Why are you running in the corridors?"

She brushed her hair out of her face, preparing to give her best apologetic look - the one she knew always worked on Professor Sprout but before she knew what was happening, Professor Sprout was ushering her to the Hospital Wing. She caught sight of her face as they passed a freshly polished suit of armour and couldn't think why she would have red lines all over it.

Poppy Pomfrey had been having a relaxing day. There had been no plots or conspiracies to kill any of her students, no dangerous rescue missions to be undertaken, and no duels with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. All that had to be cured was stopping a couple of side-affects for a light-fingered first year in Ravenclaw and a simple spell that shrank a few Slytherin tongues had to be performed at random times during the day but all in all, her day had been peaceful.

She was surprised to see Hannah, who was usually quite sensible and managed to stay out of trouble, even more so as she was being escorted by a teacher. Pomona took her aside to explain that she had meant Miss Abbot like this and that the girl was refusing point blank to explain why her face was covered in blood. Poppy was astonished - she had got to know Hannah quite well during her O.W.L.'s as she had regularly needed a Calming Draught and had to be monitored for a half-hour after drinking it. She had never faced any rudeness or difficulty with her.

She waited until Pomona had left until she asked her what had happened.

"Well.." began Hannah, and then she burst into tears. She stayed in the Hospital Wing for an hour, during which the whole story of what had happened between her and Neville was told in minute detail.

"But why did you say no?"


	11. Chapter 11 The Answer

Chapter 11 - THE Answer

"But why did you say no?"

Hannah knew Madam Pomfrey wasn't saying this just to be nosy but she had never even told Susan or Ernie about her family because she knew they wouldn't understand. Yet, was Madam Pomfrey muggle-born? She didn't know, but felt she could trust her anyway.

"My parents - they hate magic." And for the second time that day a simple question prompted a lengthy account.

It began when Hannah was eleven, living in North Berwick with her mother, father, two sisters and one brother, blissfully unaware of the existence of an alternate world to the one which occupied all her thoughts. Until she received _the_ _letter._ At first, they had refused point blank to allow her to go. They had actually been quite rude to Professor Flitwick when he had showed up to explain everything. They had been taken by surprise when he appeared at their front door - tiny and beaming. He left almost in tears. Hannah had given up all hope of ever leaving her tiny village in Central Scotland to practise magic when a woman in a tartan dress visited them one night. The next day she was in Diagon Alley with the same woman, purchasing cauldron's and books and a wand.

She loved Hogwarts straight away and wished she could have spent Christmas there as well but her parents wouldn't hear of it. They had told everyone she was at a posh boarding school in London on a scholarship and that she weekly wrote to them telling them how much she missed North Berwick and her family (trying their best to keep a grip on a reality which was fleeing from them). So Hannah's holidays were filled with snide comments from her brother and sisters, pressure from her parents, and isolation from the world to which she belonged.

"I won't put Neville through that."

"Maybe…" suggested Madame Pomfrey gently "You should let _him_ decide what he's willing to do for you?"

Hannah didn't say anything but she resolved that the next time she had a problem, she was going straight to the Hospital Wing for advice - either that or she would tell Neville what was bothering her before she blew the whole thing out of proportion again.

"So, are you going to tell me just how you managed to get blood all over your face when there are no cuts there?"

Hannah giggled and quipped that some mysteries are better left unsolved.


	12. Chapter 12 Searching

Chapter 12 - Searching

Hannah nipped into a bathroom (not one on the first floor) to tidy herself up a bit before running down to the Great Hall for dinner. Everyone was already eating by the time she arrived and she fell into the seat Susan had saved for her. It wasn't until she had half-filled her stomach and was mentally preparing herself to approach Neville at the Gryffindor table that she realised he wasn't there. She spent the rest of dinner obsessing over why.

"Hannah, just go and ask one of his friends, will you? And give us a bit of peace!" snapped Ernie, who was usually abnormally patient but had experienced a rather bad day himself.

Susan was so shocked she looked like she was trying a new way of ingesting her food through her nose. After Hannah had "put her jaw back" she took Ernie's advice and grabbed Hermione just as she was leaving.

"If you didn't know any better, you would think it was something in the water."

Hermione Granger had not been having the best of days and Ron blaming all her emotions on her hormones was less than helpful. The fact that what caused her feelings was her body's chemistry made those feelings none the less real. She was stomping off to the library in the hope of some refuge from herself when Hannah stopped her

"No I don't know where Neville is. Just because I'm a Gryffindor Prefect I'm supposed to keep tabs on the entire school and come top in all my classes as well? Everyone always expects me to know all the answers to everything and…."

Hannah thanked her and quickly ran away before she entered full ranting mode. She spent the rest of her evening searching all over for him - unsuccessfully. It was until her third collision with a thoroughly exasperated Professor Snape that he demanded to know why she was sneaking about. His lip curled into a sneer and he seemed to take great pleasure in telling her that Neville had been sent home and would not be returning until next year.

Severus Snape was finding the students even more irritable than usual. He had just taken leave of Professor Trelawney who had come to visit him in his office to kindly offer to read his tea-leaves. He had been overtly cruel - but she was more arrogant in her abilities than even James Potter and Sirius Black had been. He shivered as they thought of those two made him even more angry and a little embarrassed. Then for the fourth time that day, the fat, blonde, snivelling Hufflepuff ran into him. She stuttered her usual apology and he looked down at her disdainfully before walking on.

"Excuse me sir, but…..um…can you…do you….eh…it is… do you know where Neville Longbottom is?"

What Snape say in this innocent question was an opportunity to vent all his anger and frustration - and he was definitely going to take advantage of this. He glared at her, carefully picking words that he knew would do the most damage.

All in all it had been a bad day for most of the school, but most of all for Neville Longbottom.


	13. Chapter 13 Breakfast Without Algie

Chapter 13 - Breakfast Without Algie

Neville woke up and sat bolt upright. He couldn't understand where he was and where his roommates had gone. His eyes began to focus and he realised that the room wasn't all that unfamiliar. In fact he knew every inch of it well. He lay back down, trying to re-gain the pleasant drowsiness from moments before but gave it up as a lost cause when he remembered why he was in his comfy bedroom and not his dormitory at Hogwarts. He jumped out of bed, needing to be active, to stop thinking so much.

He could see his Grandmother in the kitchen from his position at the top of the stairs. He couldn't believe how vulnerable she looked - like a little grey-haired girl. Never tall in stature, her authority had given the impression of height but sitting at the table with her head in her hands, hair released from it's usual strict bun, staring at the piece of toast in front of her, Elsie Longbottom looked more human than Neville had ever seen her. The kitchen was as spotless as usual but it looked wrong in relation to the only person sitting in it, almost as if it was the kitchen which had changed. He stayed on the first floor, gripping the banister 'til his knuckles were white. Should he go down and comfort her, could he?

"_She needs looking after and there's only me to do it."_

He entered the kitchen by stumbling over a protruding piece of carpet. She looked up at him and greeted him with a nod. He had not heard her say one word since she explained that Algie had been attacked by a group of teenagers and was in St. Mungo's in "critical condition." He, knowing her fondness for tea and trying to help in any way he could, boiled the kettle and gathered together everything he would need to make a pot. However, Neville being Neville, he dropped the cup in his hurry to be a good grandson. It smashed. Mrs Longbottom jumped at the noise, then looked at the floor, regarding the pieces of her cup with what appeared to be mild interest, then went back to staring at her toast.

Elisabeth (Swithin) Longbottom had always been practical. Born at the turn of the century, hers was not a frivolous generation. Usually found preparing for the worst, rather than hoping for the best, no-one could call her overly optimistic. Ever since the early seventies, death had become something people in the wizarding world had to deal with on a daily basis. She remembered the day she had gone with a twenty eight year old Frank to visit Algie while he was feeling a bit ill and they had come back to find her husband Ormond, thirty two year old daughter Ursula, twin fourteen year olds Theodore and Sarah and a huge skull and serpent. That was when Algie moved in and now he had been forced into the same place as the only one of her children which she had not yet out-lived.

All she had left was Neville, and he couldn't even make a pot of tea without smashing a cup. However, she had received an owl that morning and knew there was one more task she had to delegate to Neville, one she couldn't face doing herself, and would actually feel guilty if she did. She had to pass on to Neville the job of going through Algie's things and giving some to charity shops and throwing some away. He wouldn't need them now that he was…..


	14. Chapter 14 Oddment

Chapter 14 - Oddments

Neville was going through a big box full of parchments that he had found under the bed. He had always thought the only things his great-uncle had been interested in were politics and quidditch. But in the back of the cupboard he had found cardboard books only instead of pages they contained a hard black disc. Most of them had the same picture on the front and a man's name: Dean Martin. He had also found some strange muggle machine that had a big horn attached to a little box. That was odd, but even odder was _the box._ He chose one piece of the parchment, unfolded it and began to read what was on it:

_My Butterfly_

Thine emulous fond flowers are dead, too,  
And the daft sun-assaulter, he  
That frightened thee so oft, is fled or dead:  
Save only me  
(Nor is it sad to thee!)  
Save only me  
There is none left to mourn thee in the fields…

Here he stopped, folded it back up and put it neatly at the side of the box. He didn't like that one but reasoned fairly that he would probably have liked it better if he could have understood it. He wished his great-uncle was here to explain it to him. While he glanced at the rest of the poems to see if any of them were any better, he imagined what it would have been like if he knew about this before Algie had died. He could have explained all the words and images and metaphor-thingys that he had learned about at primary school but had never quite grasped.

Then something right at the bottom of the box caught his eye - a letter. He tried his hardest not read it, that felt more like an invasion of privacy than simply just clearing things out or reading other people's poems. But it was paper - not parchment. That meant it was from a muggle but as far as he knew all his family were wizards.

Now, despite what many people might think, Neville Longbottom did have a very determined mindset when he wanted to, although not determined enough to resist the lure of that letter. He knew instantly by the handwriting that it was a woman, in spite of the fact that the signature was unfamiliar to him. It was clear that this lady had been more than a friend (from the number of love hearts and 'kisses' drawn on the page), but his uncle had never married. He picked it up and (without looking at it) put it as far away from him as possible.

"Neville? Algie only had the box room so it is impossible that he would have so much rubbish that it would take even you all day to sort it out." shouted his Gran from downstairs, her tone even but her voice catching at odd intervals.

Distracted by her impatience, and even more anxious than usual that he shouldn't annoy her, he didn't notice that he was halfway through the second page of his Uncle's letter. It was also because this page contained a poem - carefully copied out with precision and with great love. It was clear whoever had done this had meant the words in the poem. Neville could understand that.

The following morning was the last day at Hogwarts before the holidays and Hannah Abbot had decided to skip breakfast. It wasn't the first meal she hadn't felt up too recently. Actually, it had been happening so much that Pansy Parkinson had commented that "getting dumped by Longbottom was good for her, maybe she'd _shrink_ down to the size of a bear."

"_Spiteful bitch." _thought Hannah.

As she was sitting in her favourite chair, thinking up more horrible (and completely accurate) descriptions for the pug faced six year but _not_ letting her comments get to her, she imagined she heard a scratch at the basement door. She shook her head as all people do when they imagine things, without any idea why, but it was still there. She was baffled and a little worried about it being Hagrid huge dog, 'til she heard a soft hoot.

It was the owl that had mistakenly delivered Neville's package to her no more than a few weeks ago, what could be pinpointed as the beginning of this predicament. This time however it was trying to deliver to the right person. There was a quick note (irrefutably Neville's messy scrawl) as an explanation and a poem. When Hannah opened the door it dropped the parcel into her hands and flew away again, despite her exasperated sounds.

"_Stupid bloody thing, it's gave me………."_

That was when she realised that the owl couldn't confused her with Neville again, although she was still perplexed at how it had managed it the first time, because Neville was at home. And it was addressed to her.

"Hannah sorry but somet my Great-Uncle Algie died and I had to come home to help Gran with th a stuff, I was, well I found this and I don't know, read it and you'll see. Hope your o.k. and not mad at me or anything.

Neville.

P.S. I didn't write this poem but it's how I feel about you."

The letter had blots and indentations made by the quill, obviously made when Neville was struggling with his wording. The poem had been copied out more carefully but was still in Neville's sloping script. It was also the first poem that had ever made Hannah cry.


	15. Chapter 15 A Love Poem

Chapter 15 - A Love Poem

**John Clare **

_First Love_

I ne'er was struck before that hour  
With love so sudden and so sweet.  
Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower   
And stole my heart away complete. My face turned pale, a deadly pale.  
My legs refused to walk away,  
And when she looked what could I ail  
My life and all seemed turned to clay. And then my blood rushed to my face   
And took my eyesight quite away.  
The trees and bushes round the place   
Seemed midnight at noonday. I could not see a single thing,  
Words from my eyes did start.  
They spoke as chords do from the string,  
And blood burnt round my heart. Are flowers the winter's choice  
Is love's bed always snow  
She seemed to hear my silent voice   
Not love appeals to know. I never saw so sweet a face  
As that I stood before.  
My heart has left its dwelling place  
And can return no more.


	16. Chapter 16 Hannah's Home

Quick Note: I didn't write the poem (chapter 15). Found it when I was looking for some love poems to read (just because) and I don't know, seemed perfect for my story. The name on it (John Clare) is the guy who actually wrote it.

Also, Happy Birthday to me!

Chapter 16 - "Hannah's Home!"

North Berwick is a miniscule town in east-central Scotland, not far from Edinburgh. Churches and small museums take the place of nightclubs and the majority of it's youth tend to gravitate towards the beach, and it's surroundings when the tide is in. It is a typical Scottish village, everyone knows everyone ("and has done for donkey's years"), and _everyone_ knows that Hannah Abbot is attending some fancy school in London on a scholarship despite the comments that she had never really been all that clever.

They also knew that she was due home soon. Her best friend from primary school was currently in the living room with the Abbot family, chatting animatedly with Hannah's older brother Clark (by eleven months), while his two sisters (twenty-one and eleven) were playing with the baby and their father was frantically tidying up. Thalia Amarante's family were originally from Greece but both her mother and father had been born in London, made a lot of money, moved north of the border and started a family. Truth be told, they had retained a modicum of pretention, which they had unsuccessfully attempted to pass on to their only child. Thalia (or Lia) and Hannah despaired of their separate home-lives and had always "amicably debated" whether it was better to come from a large family or to have no brothers or sisters at all, both envious of the other's situation.

Hannah's family had always been more accommodating to their friendship - their home being better suited to children. At the Amarante homestead, Hannah had always been wary of their furniture being more expensive, and their frantic glances towards each other whenever she neared ornaments or examined the paintings on the walls was enough to ensure that a lot of their time was spent playing at the Abbot residence as children, then (as teenagers) gossiping and practising dance steps to Kylie Minogue. When Hannah had left for Hogwarts, they had been perfecting their routine to "Better The Devil You Know."

Of course, Thalia knew where Hannah spent her school terms and delighted in hearing about all these amazing things that she could do, and all the unbelievable (yet totally real) world that until a few years ago she had no knowledge of. Admittedly, she was a bit jealous. It had been widely recognised in North Berwick that she was "The Best At Everything" but was fair enough to realise that this was a taster of what Hannah had probably endured for years. She had contented herself with living vicariously which was why she was on the Abbot's couch, almost bouncing up and down with excitement. But she also knew better than to mention anything magical in the presence of any of the other Abbots.

Both of Hannah's parents hated magic but were obsessed with film noir. The only reason she had not been named after a famous actresses was because the had allowed five year old Ava to choose her name. They hadn't been particularly thrilled with her choice but Hannah's maternal grandmother (who had been present) insisted they kept their promise. They had learned from their mistake and had therefore named all their other children themselves.

So it happened that their oldest child was named after Ava Gardener, their second after Clark Gable, their fourth after Marilyn Monroe, their youngest after Orson Welles and their middle child was named after Ava's best friend from nursery school. It was a story that had been recounted to Thalia many a time, usually on Hannah's birthdays, and could now tell Mrs. Abbot version verbatim.

Donald Abbot collapsed into _his_ chair, having restored his house to a respectable state, just in time to hear his front door opening and his wife Aileen's clear voice call out: "Hannah's home!"

A.N. Although this story isn't the greatest piece of fiction in the world (I think this is probably my worst chapter but I felt the need of some family history), I do put a lot of effort and thought into it. Especially the non-canon names. If you go to http/ and look up the names I used, it will show you why I chose these particular ones. I think it adds something to my story but then I am just the world's biggest geek.


	17. Chapter 17 Some Good Advice

Chapter 17 - Some Good 'Advice'

"You've lost some amount o' weight!" proclaimed Thalia breathlessly, jostling Hannah as they raced up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Long….story….." panted Hannah, jostling her right back.

It took a few seconds of gasping and spluttering before either of them were capable of speech. Thalia was the first to enunciate and, as usual, she was full of questions.

"Whit's been happening? Did yer Mum tell ye Nina Reston's pregnant? How's auld Susie? And whit about Ernie? How's he? Oh, d'ye know auld Mr Humphrey died? AND YE'LL NEVER GUESS WHIT? MR MCMOONEY'S BEEN FIRED! He was going out with a sixth year - that bitch Judith O'Neill! Oh by the way how d'ye do in yer exams? Whit one's d'ye sit? Did ye get a new teacher for… thingy? Whit about that guy ye fancied - Melville?"

Hannah smiled indulgently. She was used to all Lia's inquiries coming at once and was quite practised in memorising them and answering them in order.

"Lots, No, Good, Good too, Yes - Marilyn wrote to me, No Way! I've always thought he was a bit creepy, Don't know about the exams - still to find out, I sat Transfiguration, Charms, Muggle Studies, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Herbology, Astronomy and Care of Magical Creatures, Yes Professor Umbrige and she's even worse than Mrs Jenkins used to be (Thalia gasped in mock astonishment), and _Neville_ and I …are going out." she finished shyly.

The screams and banging were so loud that Aileen Abbot had to go upstairs to check that Miss Amarante was not being "battered" by her daughter. Once she was finally convinced that all of the young girl's mental facilities were in perfect working order and she was just a bit excited, she went back downstairs to make the tea and comment to her husband on the strangeness of teenagers.

"Oh, Hannah, that is so amazing, I cannae believe it! Since when? How come ye didnae write and tell me? Does yer family know? Does his? How did it happen? Oh, I'll shut up now if ye tell me _everything!"_ She crossed her legs and cocked her head to one side listening intently.

And Hannah told her the whole story, Thalia changing her facial expressions accordingly.

"So then I sent him back a note saying thank you for the poem and everything but I also said it was best not to send me an Owl at home, and I don't know when I'd see him again……."

"Well, that's that then. (What?) You're just gonnae have to Owl him." Thalia stated matter of a factly, aware that Hannah did not have an Owl but unable to see why this was a problem. They had to sell them somewhere.

"But.."

Just as Hannah was searching for a way to explain this to her friend without putting her down, a scream far superior to Thalia's earlier cacophony cut her off. Terrified something horrific was taking place in her kitchen, Hannah streaked downstairs, her best friend behind her, to find an owl in her kitchen. Her mother was sobbing into her father's shoulders while Clark was trying to "shoo" the slightly scatty looking bird. Aileen Byrne had seen "Birds" at a very young age and now was unable to have even a budgie in the same room as her. It was also evidently a fear she had passed on as Hannah noticed Marilyn holding Orson and cowering behind a less-than-happy Ava.

Hannah had seen this bird enough times now to recognise it as Ingram - whose visit's had always led to good things.

"_Well that's one problem solved. Now how do I convince my Mum to let him stay in the house a bit longer?"_

An hour later, Hannah was once again running downstairs but instead of following screams into the kitchen, she opened the front door and making her way round the house to the garden shed. She opened the door to find a pretty dark-headed teenager conversing happily with an aging, slightly crazy owl.

"I've finished. Here attach it to his leg."

Thalia did, but not without reading it first.

"It took you the better part of an hour to come up with: 'Thanks for the letter. See you again soon. Love Hannah.?" she giggled, fiddling with Ingram's catch. She stopped. She glanced at Hannah before diving into her handbag.

"I've got a _much _better idea." She snickered, emerging with pen and paper and a huge grin.

"Oh, don't you dare."

Donald Abbot was in the living room looking at his wife who had fallen asleep - exhausted from her ordeal - and could clearly hear the laughter and excited squeals coming from the shed. He ignored it. "Daaaaaaaaaaaaad" called Marilyn plaintively from upstairs.

"_I'm getting too old for all this." _ He thought before trudging up the steps.

A/N: 'auld' old

' battered' beaten up

Just thought I should translate some Scottish words.


	18. Quick Note

Sorry if you came here looking for the next part of the story. I just thought I should post to say that this story won't be updated for at least two weeks as I will be looking after screaming children at a Bible Camp and this is the only way I could think of. Thanks for reading my story in the first place and hopefully my two internet and television free weeks will inspire me to actually write something good. Who knows?

Okay well anyway that's all I have to say except bye, so...

BYE!

Ashley


End file.
